Fish-trap.



No. 721,913. PATENTE D MAR. 3, 1993. I. E. PALMER.

FISH TRAP. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1901.

I0 MODE-I1. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

I. 1:. PALMER. 1 FISH TRAP. APPLIOATION I'ILBDfMAx. 16, 1901;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

. M Wm distended as in use.

folded.

noted by e) UNiTEn STATES ISAAC E;

PATENT ries.

PALMER, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT."

FISH-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,913, datedMarch 3, 1908,

- Application filed March 16, 1901. Serial No. 51,418.

To all whom itmrty concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC E. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Fish-Trap, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a fish-trap, with the object in view of 'providing a trap that may be folded for convenience in transportation and that may be set .up for use with greatfacility and, further, to provide a trap which may be collapsed while under the water for enabling it to be drawn to the surface with greater facility.

Apractical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l'is a top plan view of the trap when Fig. 2 is a view of the same in side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a view of the same when it is collapsed or Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the inner or upper ends of the arms, showing their manner of attachment to the center piece or post, the parts being in the position which they assume when the trap is set. Fig. dis a view of the same in vertical section in the plane of the line A A of Fig. i.

Fig. 6 is a view of the same in side elevation and Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same, showing the parts in their folded adjustment.

The trap-supporting frame consists of several arms, in the present instance tour, (denoted by a b c 611,) diverging from one another a quadrants distance apart and having secured thereto a net the bottom of which (deis held distended substantially flat in'the plane of the lower ends of the arms on b c d and the sides of which (denoted by g-, h, and t) are held by the arms in planes extending, respectively, from the four edges of the bottom up to the upper or inner e'nds 0t thearms, forming when the' trap is distended a hollow pyramid-like structure, with net forming the bottom andsides and the arms located within the net at the four corners. The several arms are hinged to a central postj by means of a sliding sleeve 7:, provided with perforated lugs l, extending laterally therefromand adapted to receive hooks m on the ends of socket or hinge pieces n, at-

.gaged with the (No model.)

tached to the upper or inner ends of the arms a b c 61, one for each. Links 0, whichserve' also as braces, are pivotally secured at their inner ends to lugsp, projecting laterally from a sleeve q, fixed on the lower end of the post 7', and at their outer ends to the hinge or socket pieces at. The upper endof the cen-' ter postj is bifurcated, and 'a trip-lever r is pivotally secured between the branches of its bifurcated end by means of a pin 5, which we tends through an "elongated slot tin the trip-:

lever to permit the latter to move bodily in the direction of its length to a limited extent relatively to the postj. trip-lever r is rounded, as shown at u, to en- The short end of the" able it to readily swing into a position in alinement with the cent-er post, and the 0pposite end is conveniently provided with an eye 1) for the purpose of attaching thereto a trip-line w, as shown in Fig. 2.

The trap is raised and loweredand held suspended, if so desired, bymeans of a line 0c,

connected with a vertically-sliding loopy, ensuspensio'n-bars z intermediate of the vlugs Z, to which the arms are hinged. The suspension-bars are conveniently held by extending a wire through the lugs l, the said wire bridging spaces between the lugs to form the suspension-bars.

The trap is provided at one or more of its sides, in the present instance at its two opposite sides, with inwardly-extending funnels 1 and 2, the inner ends of the tunnels being left open and held in position when the trap' is distended by means of a line 3, extending across the interior of the trap and connecting the inner ends of the two funnels.-

Bait for attracting the fish to the interior of the trap through the tunnels 1 and 2 is conveniently suspended, as shown at 4, by means of a line 5, attached to one or more of thearms near their upper ends.

In operation the trap having been set, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,. and lowered either to the bottom of the body of water employed or to such a depth as maybe desired is allowed to remain for a length of time .depending upon the particular object for which it is used. The fish having entered through the funnels 1 andfl, attracted by the bait i, will be-turned away from the inner ends of the tunnels by following the line ofnet around where it is the funnels, as is common in traps of this character, and when it is desired .to haul the trap it may either be hauled in its distended position or more conveniently the trip-line w may be used to throw the trip-leve '1' into the position shown in Fig. 7, permitting the sleeve 7; to slide upwardly along the center causing the arms a b c d to fold toward one another alongside the center post, collapsing the trap into the position shown in Fig. 3. In this collapsed condition the trap may be very easily drawn through the water to the surface, and the fish having been removed through a suitable dooras, for example, the door 6at the top of the trap the latter may be rebaited, distended, and again set.

It is evident that changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts without-departing from the, spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth; but

What I- claim is-- 1. A fish-trap comprising'a central support, arms extending downwardly from the central supportand hinged to swing toward and away from one another, a not loosely enveloping the arms and forming a substantially inclosed space, the said net being connected to the arms to be distended thereby and provided with one 'or more funnel-shaped openings through its body for the entrance of fish and means for locking and releasing the arms to hold them in their distended position and to 7 permit them to fold, substantially asset forth.

2. A fish-trap comprisinga center post, diverging arms hinged to the center post to swing toward and away from one another, link-braces pivotally secured to the center post and arms, a net enveloping the'arms and adapted to be distended thereby, the said pet being provided with one or more funnelshaped openings for the entrance of fish and means for locking and releasing the swinging arms to hold the net distended and permit'it to collapse, substantially as set forth.

3. A fish-trap comprisinga center post, a. sliding sleeve mounted 011 the center post, arms hinged to the sliding sleeve, brace-links pivoted to the center post and arms, a trip-lever pivoted to the center post in position to lock the sleeve, to hold the arms distended, a net enveloping the arms and adapted to be distended thereby,the said not being provided with one or more funnel-shaped openings for the entrance of fish and means for operating the trip-lever, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of March, 1901.

ISAAC E. PALMER.

Witnesses:

CIIAs. M. SAUER, PAUL S. CARRIER. 

